MOSQUE SERMONS FROM SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 14:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000304 SIPDIS SIPDIS RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2016 TAGS: KISL PREL SA SCUL SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FROM SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 14: ATTACK ON MUSLIMS WORKING AGAINST THEIR FAITH, THE PROPHET'S GOOD ATTRIBUTES, "KILL" THOSE WHO INSULT THE PROPHET Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). FROM THE EASTERN PROVINCE: MUSLIMS WORKING AGAINST THEIR OWN FAITH - AN ATTACK ON AL-QADHAFI AND DR. HASAN AL-TURABI ¶1. (C) On April 14, Imam Shaykh al-Qahtani devoted most of his sermon at the Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Mosque in Khobar to addressing the problem of Muslims working against their own faith. He began the sermon with a condemnation of some of the comments made by the Libyan leader, Muammar al-Qadhafi, and the Sudanese opposition leader, Dr. Hasan al-Turabi. (Last week press reports quoted Qadhafi questioning the policy of barring non-Muslims from accessing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, while Turabi was quoted as having said that Muslim women do not have to wear the hijab and that they should be permitted to marry men of other faiths.) As background for the points he wanted to make, the imam spoke of some of the hardships the Prophet Muhammad and his companions experienced in the early days of Islam, adding that present-day Muslims, lacking conviction and the will to resist and persevere, could learn a lesson from the Prophet's life. He concluded that the comments made by the Libyan leader and Turabi reflect the weakness inherent in Muslim societies in the face of relentless pressure from the West. He called on Muslims to look inward and know their own faith in order to realize their dream of a strong and united Muslim world. FROM MECCA: THE PROPHET'S GOOD ATTRIBUTES AND THE DUTIES GOD ESTABLISHED FOR MUSLIMS, INCLUDING KILLING THOSE WHO DENIGRATE THE PROPHET ¶2. (U) Speaking at the Holy Mosque in Mecca on April 14, Imam Shaykh Salih al Talib said that Allah accorded the Prophet Muhammad the best human attributes. He said that the Prophet was topmost for his perfect build, handsome looks, strong reasoning, command of the senses, modesty of nature, nobility of origin, and his perfect morals and manners. Thus, concluded the imam, God established certain duties to the Prophet for the nation of Islam. Among these duties is belief in the Prophet and obeying him. Another duty, the imam said, is showing love for the Prophet. He related stories from Islamic history on how the Prophet's companions loved him, glorified him, and protected him with their lives. ¶3. (U) In his second sermon, Imam Shaykh al Talib discussed the same theme, adding that one of the duties to the Prophet is supporting and defending his religion and Sunnah. He added, "The nation is unanimous that whoever insults the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, shames him, denigrates him, or ridicules him in any way shall be killed." Honoring the Prophet's family members and companions, and praying for the Prophet whenever his name is mentioned are also duties that Muslims have to the Prophet. The imam concluded with a prayer to make Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries safe and secure: "O God, whoever wishes us and Muslims and their lands evil, busy him with himself, turn his plot against him, and spare us and Muslims his evil." FROM MEDINA: PRAISE FOR THE PROPHET'S LIFE ¶5. (U) Shaykh Abd al-Muhsin Bin-Muhammad al-Qadim offered a traditional sermon devoted to the Prophet Muhammed at the Holy Mosque in Medina on April 14. He said that the Prophet's life was full of wisdoms, as well as tribulations and hardships, which he faced as he charted the course of the nation of Islam towards its glory. He recalled the battle of Tabuk against the Romans and referred to those who failed the Prophet citing the relevant Koranic Surahs about these "hypocrites." "O Muslims, religion has only come to us after a bitter struggle and continuous hardship," declared the imam, pointing out that the Prophet led that conquest personally while he was more than 60 years old. He then referred to the hardships faced by the Prophet's companions, who should be loved and glorified by Muslims. Moreover, he referred again to the "hypocrites" who tried to affect Muslim morale and says that Muslims should be careful of them. In JEDDAH 00000304 002 OF 002 his second sermon, Shaykh Al-Qadim added that work based on sincerity leads to paradise, while work based on mockery leads to hell. Gfoeller